Various amusement games are known in which a player tosses or projects objects toward various targets. Such games typically employ a catapult device or launching mechanism designed with different actuators, pivot arms, force transmitting components, belts, control rods and the like to hurl a projectile with certain forces over different distances.
It remains desirable to provide a catapult device or launcher which can be used to flip or shoot objects, such as coins, ping pong balls, tennis balls and baseballs, through the air with a force designed for that particular application. Such catapult device should be flexible enough to be adapted for use in small applications, such as arcade redemption games, or more demanding applications, such as tennis ball serving or baseball pitching machines. In addition, the catapult device should be capable of providing consistent and reliable high cycle operation with a minimum of maintenance requirements.